Shah’s balls bring NZ to their knees

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah’s match haul of 14 wickets has earned Pakistan victory against New Zealand by an innings and 16 runs in the second Test. After a career-best 8-41 to help dismiss the Kiwis for 90, Shah grabbed 6-143 as the Black Caps followed on and were all out for 312 after tea on the fourth day. In doing so he equalled the Pakistan record for wickets in a Test with fast bowler Imran Khan, who achieved his feat in 1982 against Sri Lanka in Lahore. Centuries by Haris Sohail and Babar Azam put Pakistan in command after making 5-418 declared. Shah then went to work. He has 22 wickets in the series, and needs five more to reach 200 in his career. They should come in Abu Dhabi, where the teams return for the third Test and series decider from Monday and where New Zealand won the Tirst test by four runs. Ross Taylor (82), Henry Nicholls (77) and Tom Latham (50) led New Zealand’s resistance, but the damage was done in the first innings. Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur went as far as to describe Shah’s performance in the first innings as the “best leg-spin bowling you will ever see.” “We knew he had a big performance inside of him,” Arthur said. “That first innings, I think there was a spell of about half an hour of the best leg-spin bowling you will ever see. Fourteen wickets in a Test match is superb.”